Really Squinty Squints
by SquintyEye
Summary: Zack's never given much of thought to falling in love. People like him just don't get that "happily ever after" do they? But, they can have friends and sometimes, friendship leads other places... Right?
1. Do really squinty squints fall in love?

"Zack? Zack? Dude!" Hodgins punched Zack lightly on the arm. "Dude, you OK? You look like you've seen a ghost or something!"

Zack's eyes flicked up from the computer monitor he'd been so engrossed with, but his expression still remained somewhat shell-shocked. Just as quickly, his eyes darted back down to the screen, his forehead creasing in confusion. Pursing his lips, he let out a forceful sigh and slumped down in his chair.

"Dude?"

"I… Hmmm…" Zack shook his head and sighed, still looking puzzled. "It's nothing. I'll get back to it later. Do we have a case?" Zack stood and made a move for the doorway.

Hodgins raised his eyebrows and reached for the mouse to see what was disconcerting his colleague so. Faster than he'd ever seen Zack move, the younger doctor was back in the room, cuffing him in the shoulder and in less time that he would have thought possible, the screen (email, it seemed) was shut down and the computer screen blank.

"Dude, seriously!" Hodgins rubbed his arm where it'd been hit and looked at Zack in amusement. "Now I want to know WAY more than before!"

Zack simply stared back at him blankly.

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"So… Do we have a case? Or did you just come by to look longingly at Brennan?" Angela asked Booth with a smirk. "Or are you killing two birds with one stone?"

"I…" Booth looked amused as he held up a finger like he was preparing to argue his case when he stopped abruptly. "Hey Bones." His face returned to it's "here on FBI business" look.

"Hi Booth," Brennan acknowledged him with a slight nod and a faint smile. "Got a case for us?"

Angela rolled her eyes and muttered, "So FORMAL!"

"Angela, I know what you're mumbling and please just give it a rest. There will NEVER be anything between—" Brennan was cut off by a slight kerfuffle at the door to her office.

The assembled group looked up to see Drs. Hodgins and Addy at the doorway. The part that caused the commotion was the fact that the younger doctor was prodding the other one along amidst gleeful giggling. Zack, however, wasn't amused in the slightest.

"Cambodian mail order bride? Selling your sperm? C'mon, throw me a BONE, dude!" Hodgins eyes had teared up he was laughing so hard.

All eyes turned to Zack in dazed curiosity.

"No and no," he grumbled, looking mildly frustrated with Hodgins. Then he saw everyone else looking at him questioningly. "And NO!"

"Ok. Ok. I'll lay off. I swear," Hodgins said, wiping the tears from his eyes, the corners of his mouth twitching as he tried to keep a straight face.

Zack narrowed his eyes at his friend and then, seemingly satisfied, and crossed the room where he plopped down Indian style on the floor near the sofa. Keeping his eyes down, he proceeded to nervously pop his knuckles.

Startled, he realized that there was a very unnatural silence in the room. Apart from this thumb popping and a strange snorting sound coming from Hodgins's direction, you could have heard a pin drop. Zack looked up slowly to see everyone staring right at him.

His whole body slumped against the sofa, he gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes heavenward. After a deep breath, Zack started one of his superfast monologues. "I got an email from a friend today we were in college at the same time she is in town and she wanted to find out if we could maybe meet up while she's here because she just interviewed for a job at the Pentagon and doesn't know anyone in D.C. well maybe one person I think a guy she knows works in the French Embassy but, really, I mean, she doesn't know anyone and we were both kids with really high I.Q.s who were in college while we were quite young and… And…"

There was silence for a beat and then Hodgins piped up, "And, dude, you are SO freakin' into her that it's not even funny."

"No… No! I mean, we just could always relate to one another and we've known one another for years, since I was 12 and she was 10—she went to Johns Hopkins for med school when we finished college and then at the CDC in Atlanta and we've kept in touch through email and—"

"Is she pretty?" Angela asked with a huge grin.

Zack had been looking at his hands throughout this whole explanation. Now, he looked up slowly, his eyes wide and scared.

"Yeah."

"Do really squinty squints fall in love?" Booth asked Bones under his breath.

"Really squinty squints? I don't know what that means" she replied, glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

"Look at him, Booth!" Angela said, nodding her head in Zack's direction. He was staring into space chewing on his thumb nail. "It's pretty obvious… They do!"

The youngest man in the room focused on her when she said that, looked even more fearful and mumbled, "Oh shit."

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This is my first aever ttempt at a fanfic. So, please review if you want to see where it goes! Hope you like it, though!


	2. I'm not so good with women

Hodgins cackled raucously. "Owwwwwwwwww! What was THAT for?!" he gaped at Angela, who'd just given him a swift kick in the shin.

"Zack looks like he might pass out and you're laughing about it? I will NEVER understand male bonding." She glanced over at Booth who was watching the proceedings with apparent delight. Angela snorted and sat down next to Zack. "Sweetie, really… Just breathe, OK? This is all gonna be just fine." Nodding her head encouragingly, she patted his shoulder.

"It is?" Zack looked at Angela, the fear in his eyes slightly less obvious than before. He was still pretty pale, to be honest.

"Of course! She's just a girl! Why don't you tell us more about her? Umm, more slowly than last time?" Angela settled back against the sofa and crossed her legs in front of her.

Zack sneaked a look at Hodgins and Booth who were both watching him bright eyed with amusement. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment and he looked back down at his hands. "I'm NOT in love with her or anything. Really. I mean, she's my friend. You don't fall in love with your friends. That'd… Be like Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan… Err... Ummm. Ok. So, that's a bad example, but…"

"Why is that a bad example?" Brennan asked, looking mildly puzzled, yet pleased at the same time.

"Yeah? I mean, its not like Bones and I are… You know, I mean, we're just friends… Partners… Plain and simple." Booth had a bit of color in his cheeks as well, shocked that Zack had even been aware of his and Bones' comings and goings. He heard a giggle from his right and turned to see Hodgins pressing his lips together looking entirely too tickled by the scene playing out in front of him. "I will take out my gun and shoot you. Do NOT mess with me, Conspiracy Squint." To prove his point he put his hand on his gun and glared hard at Hodgins.

"Quit threatening my team. You're always so Alpha Male and, anyways, anthropologically speaking-" Brennan was cut off by Angela clearing her throat loudly.

"Really, guys, don't you want to hear about this woman who makes Zack turn into a blithering idiot? Because I really would like to know more about her! Go ahead, sweetie." She patted Zack on the leg and smiled at him.

"Oh. Umm… Well, her name's Brynn McKenna. She's a virologist with the CDC. I guess, maybe, she's going to do military research for the Pentagon? I mean, why else would they want someone with a medical degree?"

"Probably to create new super viruses that can be used as biologic warefare. Plus to have a prodigy on their employment rosters, it would just look good." Hodgins piped up. "I mean, what the government does that the general public funds unwittingly is really just… a… shame…" he trailed off when he saw that his speech has garnered some scathing looks from around the room. "Sorry, dude. Continue."

Zack cleared his throat and said, "We've been emailing each other since we finished our undergrad work. She went to Johns Hopkins, like I said, and I did my Masters work in Michigan, but we always kept in touch. It's just uncommon to find someone who you're that in tune with intellectually."

Booth and Hodgins both snickered. Zack looked up and blushed a much deeper red. "Well… And she really is pretty."

"What does she look like?" Booth asked. "Like Naomi from Paleontology? Blonde and bitchy? Is that your type, kid? Because, really, I just don't see that happening. No offense, but you really just seem too nice for that."

"You think Naomi looks bitchy?" Zack perked up at this admission. "I thought maybe it was just me that thought that, especially since she was a little mean to me, but if she LOOKS like a bitch, maybe it's not MY fault at all that—"

"Dude? You still suck with women. Don't even try to worm your way out of it," Hodgins hopped up on Dr. Brennan's desk and smirked as Zack's face fell. "But, don't let that stop you. Continue with this tale of adolescent lust. What does Dr. McKenna look like?"

Zack hesitated and reached down and retied his shoe. "Well… To be honest, I haven't SEEN her since she was 19. But, she's kind of tiny. Like, maybe 5 feet tall? And she has curly red hair and green eyes and freckles on her nose, sometimes. And dimples! She has dimples and they're really cute on her, she…"

Zack looked around at the people in the room who were watching him, grinning.

He rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Ok. So, maybe I'm a LITTLE into her."

"Ya think?" came the reponse from Booth and Hodgins in unison.

"Sweetie! When do we get to meet her? We DO get to meet her, right?" Angela was all but jumping up and down and clapping.

"If Zack likes this girl, then really, I think it would be incredibly intimidating for all of us to crowd around the both of them at any point. I mean, it would be, anthropologically, like meeting the family of someone your child is about to marry and that would put that much more stress on a situation that Zack already obviously finds uncomfortable. Right, Zack?" Brennan looked fondly at her former grad student, who she had to admit, looked a bit dazed, still.

"Well, I was thinking maybe I would email her back and tell her that we had a case and that I was really sorry but I just didn't have any free time right now…" Zack trailed off and looked, once again, at the ground.

"We don't have a case, kid," Booth said, looking puzzled. "I just stopped by because, well, I was in the area and I thought maybe Bones wanted…" He looked around and then helplessly shrugged, "Maybe you ALL wanted to grab lunch at the diner."

Hodgins snorted with laughter and Booth turned and pointed to his gun in it's holster. Hodgins grinned and made a gesture like he was zipping his lips.

"Why would you want to say that anyways?" Angela asked, amazed. "You LIKE her!"

"Oh. Umm. Well, it's like Hodgins said… I'm not so good with women. And I do just fine when we email or IM or play a game every now and again online so why screw that up?" Zack scuffed the toe of his shoe on Dr. Brennan's oriental rug.

"But, sweetie… Is that what you really want? To avoid her because you think it's easier?" Angela looked crestfallen.

"Yes," Zack said simply. "At least then I can keep her in my life. Why would I risk screwing up something that's so good?" He shrugged and walked for the door. "Lunch?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure thing, dude." Hodgins hopped off of Brennan's desk and clamped his arm around Zack's shoulders. "Come on, guys. I'm buying."

Booth extended his hand out to Brennan and pulled her to her feet. "After you?" he gestured to the door. "Miss Montenegro? You coming?" He looked over at the artist who was still sitting against the sofa.

"Yeah… I am." She stood up slowly. "Hey, Booth, can you help me with something real quick? I think that we should beat Zack to the punch. He really needs to at LEAST see this girl."

"Ange, he said he didn't want to," Dr. Brennan said, stopping in her office doorway.

Booth grinned. "I'm with Angela. The kid deserves SOME kinda break. And he's sure as hell not going to give himself one. Besides, she sounds like a squint, too. We can make some squinty love, ya know, Bones?"

Angela started giggling.

"That is NOT what I meant and you KNOW IT, Angela!" Booth roared at Angela's astonished, albeit amused face. "I just meant that… Well… YOU know what I meant, right, Bones?"

Again, under her breath, Angela murmured, "Paging Dr. Freud. Dr. Freud?"


	3. This Zack only kind of situation?

"So… What did you have in mind, Ange?" Dr. Brennan asked her best friend. "I wouldn't exactly confuse any of us with cupid and matchmaking is surely not my strong suit."

"Maybe not… But, don't we owe it to Zack to try? You heard him, Bren. You and he are SO damned similar! He's going against what he WANTS because he's scared. Because he's never faired well in that kinda situation before. Because he just, well—"

"Is a slacker?" Booth offered hopefully, picking up a pen from Dr. Brennan's desk and twirling it through his fingers.

"I was going to say that he had some 'motivational issues', but sure, I reckon 'slacker' works, too." Angela had to laugh at Booth's response to the situation. "But, Booth… Frankly, I thought you didn't like Zack too much. Why are you so willing to help out with this little endeavor?"

Booth looked mildly surprised. "I don't dislike the kid. Sure, he's probably the oddest little man I've ever encountered—including your beau and lemme tell ya, I didn't know it was possible to out-weird Hodgins, but Zack does."

Both women shot him disapproving looks and Booth held up his hands in defense. "But, in all honesty, Zack's a good kid. He WANTS to be normal and hell, this girl can't be too out of his league. He said they've emailed back and forth for, what, 15 years, now? That's plenty long enough to lose touch, if she wanted to. Besides, she's a squint. A SQUINTY squint at that! Two years younger than Zack, in college at the same time as him and then, no 'motivational issues' there, because she's already got a medical degree? Sounds like a match made in squinty heaven." In the midst of his yammering, Booth had begun, again, twirling the pen.

Dr. Brennan snatched the pen from his fingertips and looked at him from the corner of her eye. "So, you say that a squint can only be with another squint, because intellectually, they would be unfulfilled by someone of lesser intelligence?"

"Yeah!" Booth's mind was on what kind of pie would be at the diner when he realized the room was full of silence and he was on the receiving end of some very strange looks. Booth looked from one female face to the other. "Wait, what? No!" Booth realized he'd better backtrack, and fast. "I just think that in ZACK'S case that would be only way it would work. For Zack. In his situation. Not, you know, in any OTHER situations. Just his."

More silence followed this babbling and Booth mentally kicked himself. Shifting his gaze from Bones, who looked rather put out, to Angela, he wished he'd stuck to looking at his partner, because Angela looked rather like she might explode from trying not to laugh.

"So… What are we going to do for Zack?" Booth asked, rolling his eyes heavenward for strength.

"In this situation?" Angela asked, sweetly.

"Umm, yes. This situation." Booth knew he was in for some ribbing.

"This particular Zack-only kind of situation?"

"Ange, get to the point already. I'm hungry and Booth wants pie. I can tell from that little twitch in his jaw." Dr. Brennan knew that she was missing something that was happening, but the nuances were either too subtle or too absurd for her to follow properly.

Angela's eyes were twinkling. She loved these two, but God, they could be so dense sometimes. "I need contact information, Booth. Email, cell phone number, what hotel she's at… SOMETHING! And with you being FBI and all, I just figure you're the man for the job."

"I suppose I could find something out about her. What was her name again?"

"Brynn McKenna," two female voices chimed in unison.

"Alrighty. Anything else I can do while I'm staking out our little nerdlette?" Booth was uncomfortable with where the majority of this conversation had gone. Why on earth did he always seem so out of control during these things? Better still, why did it bother him so much?

"No, I was just thinking that--- Pie, you know. It's just so good and I really could use the caffeine in some of the diner's coffee today. Oh! Hey Zack! Bren was just grabbing her purse, right?" Angela jerked her head at the brown leather bag on Dr. Brennan's desk.

"Right. Yeah, sorry. Then we were talking about being intellectually unbalanced in a relationship. And how that's bad. Right, Booth?" Dr. Brennan asked, picking up her bag and slinging it haughtily over her shoulder, shooting an annoyed look in her partner's direction

"I—" Booth tried to formulate a coherent answer, but really, his brain felt like mush. "Yum. Pie. Let's go before Hodgins backs out of picking up the tab."

Zack narrowed his eyes as the threesome brushed passed him. No one noticed his effort at the evil eye and he felt inexplicably nervous. Surely his private life wasn't up for discussion with his colleagues… Or was it? "Oh God," he muttered as he followed then down the corridor. His only consolation was that surely Booth wouldn't help them to track Brynn down. What did Booth care what a lowly squint did or didn't do?

At the end of the hallway were the stairs that led out of the Forensics Department of the Jeffersonian. Zack was lagging behind by a couple of feet and was seriously considering rushing back to his computer station and emailing Brynn that he was busy and wouldn't be able to see her. She usually had her Blackberry or whatever on her. So, she'd get it and be back in Atlanta before anyone was the wiser. Zack mentally patted himself on the back, pleased that he'd thought under pressure and could put this whole situation behind him with just a couple of quickly typed lines.

"I forgot something back in the lab," Zack announced, squeakily, as they rounded the edge of the corridor. "I'll be right… Back… Oh, God."

There, not 20 feet in front of them, walking up the stairs with Hodgins, was a diminutive redhead, her curly hair pulled back with a black band.

Angela, Dr. Brennan and Booth all stopped in their tracks, mouths agape.

"So… THAT'S Brynn, huh?" Booth asked under his breath, turning to wink at Zack to show his approval. Only, the boy genius was nowhere in sight. "What the hell?"

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A/N : OK, OK… So, I'm new at this! But, I really would love some reviews if anyone's reading this story. Compliments and constructive criticism are always welcomed. Is it dragging too much? I'm trying to get it set up well, but I'm aware I can be a bit wordy. Is everyone in character? Do you like where this is going? Reviews would just make me write more quickly… 


	4. I must confess

A/N : I'm not entirely sure what happened here. I guess I accidentally posted the 1st chapter again as the 4th. Sorry. Brain fart? Too much caffeine? Not enough caffeine? I'll come up with a more suitable excuse later. Remember, reviews make the story happen faster!

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Angela wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but she reacted quickly. "Hi sweetie!" she called out to Hodgins. "Are we still on for lunch? We're all ready!"

Hodgins looked at his lover oddly, "Umm, yes. We are. But, didn't you lose someone? Where the hell is Zack? This is his friend Brynn, that we've heard so much about—I invited her along." Behind her back, Hodgins wiggled his eyebrows for Booth's benefit. Seriously, this woman didn't look at all like he'd pictured her. He'd been picturing a plain, mousy… Well, geek to be frank. Boy, had he been wrong. This chick easily fell into the "hottie" category.

Brennan watched the scene unfolding and made a decision. She, who was more like Zack than anyone else in the group, decided to save her protégé's pride. She really did understand Zack's social anxiety and she could tell that she genuinely liked this girl. She could also understand how Zack would be overwhelmed at a meeting in person when he felt ill prepared to cope with body language, facial expressions and metaphorical speaking. Which was why she HAD to lie. "Cam called from the M.E. conference and asked Zack if he could do an analysis of some scans that were brought up. So, he's in the lab and won't be able to join us today."

Hodgins raised an eyebrow and looked from Brennan to Booth and then to Angela for confirmation. Both had a bit of a blank expression on their faces, but then Angela's face snapped with recognition and she chirped, "Yeah! Nose to the grindstone, that boy! Has he always been such a worker bee, Brynn?"

The younger woman was watching them in amusement. Her smooth cheeks dimpled as she pressed her lips together. "Zack ADDY? A 'worker bee'?" She giggled. "No, I must confess… I've never heard that term used in conjunction with Zack's name."

"So! Are you going to join us for lunch, Dr. McKenna?" Booth asked, sensing that she knew that this whole conversation really wasn't adding up. "I'm—"

"Agent Seeley Booth," she supplied. "I know who all of you are. Suit and tie, socks with attitude… Dr. Brennan, I've actually seen your picture on your book jackets… Jack Hodgins, the person who's most likely to treat Zack like 'one of the guys…' Angela Montenegro, the 'mother hen' of y'all's little group. All we're missing is Dr. Saroyan. Who is at a conference, it would seem." Still seeming quite amused, Brynn looked appraisingly at the group in front of her. "Sure, I'd love to go to lunch with y'all."

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"Oh, God. Oh, God. Ohgodohgodohgodohgod." Zack paced back and forth in the Forensics hallway." What the HELL am I freaking out about?" Zack knew he was muttering aloud when a couple of interns looked at him oddly as they scurried past. OK. He really needed to calm himself down before his reputation went from "weird bones lab nerd" to "complete and utter psychotic working in anthropology." He sat down at his computer and started typing. Free association, his childhood therapists had called it. Zack had always had a hard time putting emotions into words and sometimes, by just writing without stopping to think he could make sense of everything coursing through his mind.

"Booth said Naomi looks like a bitch. So, obviously she's a bitch. I look like a nerd and, voila! I'm a nerd. So, if Naomi IS a bitch then it stands to reason that she would be mean to me, regardless of if I'm lousy in bed or not. That maybe she would even SAY I'm bad at sex, even if I'm not, just to be a bitch.

And, even so, it's been, what, 6 years? And Brynn and I still talk. A lot. Plus, we were relatively young and each other's first, so maybe Brynn didn't KNOW I completely sucked at it. Maybe she even LIKES me. Maybe she's in love with me and I'm in love with her and we can date and get married and have kids and we'll laugh about how much I freaked out over this.Yes! That must be it, right?

But wait… Hodgins even said I suck with women. And he's slept with thousands, so he would be the one to know. Of course Brynn's had sex with other people now and she knows I was bad at it. And she's laughing at me and I just don't know it. Maybe she even wants to see me to make fun of me in person since she knows I don't get nuance very well."

Zack covered his face with his hands and let out a groan. He was just so frustrated by all of this. He was much happier back before he found out that it was possible to be BAD at sexual intercourse. Closing his eyes, Zack leaned forward and banged his head down on his desk.

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A/N : So, maybe why he's freaking out is lame. But, it just seemed a Zack-y thing to do, to me. Maybe we'll have a flashback in the next chapter…

Annnnnnnnnd… not to be a pain, but I've noticed that quite a few people have flagged this story for alerts when it's updated, but I've only gotten 3 reviews. If you like it, review. Pwease? Otherwise, I might get bored with it, thinking no one likes it and not finish it, ya know?


	5. I have socialization issues

Their little group was waiting to get a table together. Brynn seemed slightly less amused than before and looked a bit unsure of herself now, being out on the town with people she didn't really even know. Angela decided she needed to help her loosen up. "So, I've gotta ask! How did you and Zack meet? Tell us everything!" Angela beamed at her, hoping she would loosen up and maybe give them another piece of the Zack puzzle.

Shrugging her shoulders and looking a little embarrassed, Brynn replied, "Well, our parents actually met before we did. Because of some testing and interviewing that we had participated in with psych students who were working their doctorates, our families were contacted about us beginning college coursework when we did. Two girls and four guys, ranging in age from nine to fifteen were asked to join in the study. Zack and I were two of the younger ones and our parents were pretty uncomfortable with putting us in a college environment at ten and twelve. I guess the other parents had no reservations about their kids being on their own. Which, if you ask me, is just a bit odd."

"And yet, starting college at that age was NOT odd to you?" Booth asked, looking dubious.

"Oh... No... Not really. I mean, we fit in better at the college level than we would have in an elementary school, wouldn't you think? It's not like any of us even had the capability of being social butterflies or anything even close. So I guess the environment wouldn't make a tremendous difference." Brynn looked distinctly uncomfortable, now.

"Why is that? I mean, sure, you were younger than everyone, but my son is only 5 and he'll talk anyone's head off who'll listen." Booth chuckled, thinking about Parker's chatter. "Ask Bones. He loves to tell her about his day!"

"I bet your son's adorable, then." Brynn flashed him a quick smile. "I wasn't so lucky as to be a chatterbox. I have some issues socializing. To put it bluntly, I kinda suck at it."

"Nah, you seem fine, but Zack—" Booth was cut off by the waitress who waved them to an empty table near the front windows.

As everyone took their seats, Hodgins prodded the story along. "So, your parents met before you guys did…"

"Yeah. Our families kinda assigned us to look after one another. And we had much better luck with college for their intervention. Zack and I ate our meals together, studied together, and sometimes we'd trade our hobbies back and forth. I'd play chess or video games with him and then he'd have to come jump on the trampoline or go for a walk with me… It worked for us. Three of the four others never completed their degrees, but have managed to have high flying lives as career alcoholics and drug abusers."

"Coffee?" an older waitress had stopped by their table with a pot of black coffee.

"You should get coffee, " Dr. Brennan told Brynn, "It goes really well with the pie and Agent Booth insists the pie is the best. Right, Booth?" She looked across the table at her partner who was openly sizing up Zack's love interest.

"What? Oh yeah. Definitely." Booth agreed, then he smiled cockily at Dr. Brennan who, in turn, rolled her eyes. "What?!"

"You are so—" Dr. Brennan began, but was interrupted by Brynn.

"Yes! Coffee, please. Thanks." She took a sip and cast a sidelong glance at Angela and Hodgins, both of whom were silently collapsed into giggles. A small smirk appeared on her face and before it was replaced by a look of complete innocence. "Mmmmmmm."

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Zack hadn't moved a muscle in close to 10 minutes. He was still forehead down on the desk, arms hanging by his sides. His fight or flight reflexes were battling it out with one another.

On one hand, he was sure he could think of a reason to fly home to Michigan for the weekend. Of course, then she would know he was avoiding her. Which made him look cowardly. Or, on the other hand, he could be proactive and beat her to the punch. Yes! He could try to make some kind of joke about the whole experience and how awful it was and how he'd pretty much forgotten about it. Only, he wasn't very good at lying and it hadn't been an awful experience for him.

"What ARE you doing?" a female voice behind him asked. Fortunately, Zack recognized the voice as belonging to Naomi, so he didn't bother moving.

"You are definitely the strangest person I've ever met. Do you realize that, Zack?" She had such a mocking tone that Zack felt completely stupid. He didn't like the feeling, nor did he truly feel he deserved it.

He lifted his head slowly, keeping his eyes shut. "Do you need something, Naomi? Or did you just stop by…" His brown eyes opened and he locked with her hazel ones. In his eyes, an understanding dawned. "Of course you need something. You've never once spoken to me unless you wanted something. You've never just stopped to talk to me, unless you were feeling vindictive and needed someone to act as your verbal whipping boy. I don't know your family, you're favorite color, or even your middle name."

"What the—" Naomi started, but was cut off.

"I've let you completely emasculate me. I've second-guessed pretty much everything non-academic I've ever done because of you." Zack, who never really showed much emotion, was on a roll, although his voice and face remained mostly expressionless. "Maybe I'm not a great lover. Maybe it's me and I'm just clueless or maybe it had something to do with you, did you ever even consider that?"

Zack stopped, breathing hard. Naomi looked stunned and then laughed nastily. She opened her mouth to snap back, no doubt, but Zack beat her to the punch and simply laughed.

"And to think… I was willing to give up on something in my life that I care about so much… Because I felt inadequate… Because of you" He shook his head and chuckled. "Wow. Thanks for stopping by. You've been a tremendous help. Really."

"Zachary! You will NOT talk to me like that, you… You… Horrible… Pathetic.. –" Naomi was sputtering with anger.

Zack stopped in the hallway and thought really hard for a moment. Then, he walked back to the doorway and patted Naomi's shoulder. "Naomi?"

"Yes?" She looked pleased with herself, as if she'd won the battle.

Praying he remembered the wording right to a pop cultural phrase, just this once, Zack said, "Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out." Then he turned and ran down the hallway.

Naomi looked shocked. Did ZACK ADDY just say that?

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A/N : Sorry about the glitch in the previous chapter. It's fixed, now. So, what do you think? I know Zack's bordering on being bit out of character in this chapter. I'm trying to remain true to Asperger's (which I have, BTW) while letting Zack have a revelation about himself.

Reviews make me smile. Smiling makes me happy. Happy makes me write more… Just so ya know. **wink, wink**


	6. I really must run

Hodgins was explaining why working in the Pentagon could be a coup for the American public, as long as she wasn't in on their plans for world domination through biologics when Brynn's cell phone rang.

"Is that Zack?" Angela asked with a hopeful gleam in her eye.

Glancing at the screen, Brynn shook her head, looking vaguely disappointed. Then, put the phone to her ear and said, "Hey, Scott."

Hodgins and Booth exchanged startled looks and mouthed "Scott?!" simultaneously. Who the hell was Scott? And why was he calling Zack's love interest?

"Now? OK, I guess I can. What's his name again?"

Something was going wrong here, Brennan thought. She looked at Angela for confirmation that her feelings of alarm were not unfounded. Angela looked pretty surprised, as well. Good, Dr. Brennan thought. I picked up on that.

"Yeah, OK. I can leave here now. I'm… Well, I'm not far from the Jeffersonian," Brynn looked more nervous than they'd seen her look all night. "Huh?" She glanced down at herself. "A skirt and a shirt?" Pause. "No, it's black and green." Pause and a furrowing of the brow, "Does that even MATTER?" Pause. "Yup. OK. Bye."

Hodgins couldn't contain himself. "So, who was that?"

"Oh. That was Scott. He works at the French Embassy. When I told him I was interviewing for a job up here, he wanted me to get together with him and told me I 'had' to meet a friend of his."

"Meet a friend?" Hodgins looked appalled. "Why? What about Zack?"

Brynn looked confused. "I don't think Zack would want be introduced to Scott's friend." She tossed a ten dollar bill on the table and stood from the her chair at the end of the booth, smoothing her skirt down. "It was nice to meet y'all, but I really must run if I'm going to meet up with Scott and Wesley."

The partial squint squad plus Booth were too shocked at this turn of events to do more than wave.

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Gasping for air, Zack burst through the door of the diner and looked wildly around for people he knew. He'd run all the way from the Forensics department to here and was completely winded. Not only was it quite a run, it was cold out and the cold air had made his lungs burn. Spotting Booth in the corner booth he bolted through the throng of diner patrons and skidded to stop, just in front of… Wait. What? Just in front of Booth, Dr. Brennan, Angela, Hodgins, and… No one.

"Where's Brynn?" Zack's eyes looked a little wild. Panicked, even.

Angela was stunned to see so much emotion in those eyes. She exchanged glances with the others in her booth and then said softly, "She's gone, sweetie."

Zack sat down heavily in Brynn's recently vacated chair and his face went blank. "Oh." He put both of his hands in his lap and looked down at the table.

No one knew how to respond, so no one even tried.

"Miss?" Booth caught the attention of the waitress who was walking by. "I need some coffee and a slice of pie for my buddy, here. Thanks." He looked at Zack and opened his mouth, but he could think of no words that would be appropriate.

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A/N : No, it's not over. But, this is a good place for me to stop and beg for reviews. And for me to actually get off of my butt and DO something. LOL Hope you're enjoying it.


	7. Yes, I know how to play

"Sweetie?" Angela leaned over and tried to catch Zack's eye. He was stirring his apple pie into a mishmash, eyes still downcast and he had yet to say a word to any of them. Some forced conversation had gone on… Booth had wondered aloud whether "Serenity" was a good movie to rent… Hodgins had said that one of his old plasma screen tvs was no longer needed and did Zack know anyone who would want it… Brennan had even asked Zack what he thought about the rock group "Foreigner…" All of this was in an attempt to engage Zack, but it had been a bit of a farce.

"Dude. Snap out of it. Seriously, man, please?" Hodgins looked imploringly at his friend. "You're creeping me out. I've never seen anything with that much sugar in it sit in front of you and not be gobbled down immediately."

Zack's fork quit working the lump of food, but he still didn't look up. Booth snickered at the comment and then said, "I have an idea! I remember you mentioning you like basketball. Wanna blow off the rest of the afternoon and shoot some hoops? There's a great court outside of Bones' apartment complex. We could all—WHAT?" Booth looked at his Bones and grimaced. "Why must you smack me?"

"Honestly, Booth, you're like a stalker, I think. You've checked out my neighborhood?" Brennan gaped at the FBI agent. "Do you really find me incapable of defending myself?" She held up her hand as Booth opened his mouth to protest. "Yes, sure. It's for my own good. What's next? Are you going to check my underwear drawer for evidence of sex?"

"For what it's worth, I think that's sweet," Angela chimed in. "Very sweet, Booth. The checking out her neighborhood part. Not that underwear part," She beamed her approval before she turned to Brennan. "And really, sweetie, your underwear drawer could use an overhaul. A couple of black thongs does not a sexy anthropologist make."

"Black thongs? Whoa, baby!" Hodgins cheered before he saw the daggers Dr. Brennan was shooting his way. "Again, it's a reflex. I did not mean to call you baby."

Then, so quietly it was almost missed, "OK."

Everyone turned and looked at Zack. He still hadn't looked up, but he'd finally spoken. "We can play basketball."

"Excellent!" Booth exclaimed. "Let's go, then! Ummm, Zack?"

Zack tossed his fork down and stood up. "Yes, Agent Booth, I know how to play."

"I was just checking!"

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Less than an hour later, Booth and Brennan were standing on the asphalt of the court waiting on Hodgins, Angela, and Zack to get there from a quick trip home for clothes and running shoes.

"So, Bones… Do YOU know how to play basketball?" Booth dribbled his old basketball on the ground and grinned cockily at the sexy scientist. She had changed into sneakers, black Adidas running pants and a long sleeved t-shirt that said, "Ski Ober Gatlinburg." Booth didn't mind the cold air as much and had opted for black basketball shorts and a black "Quantico" t-shirt.

Bones stole the ball from her unsuspecting partner and took a shot. Fortunately, they were quite close to the basket so she made it easily. "Sorry Booth. In spite of your Alpha male tendencies, I don't need you to show me how to shoot a basketball."

Booth smirked. "Actually, Bones, you don't suck at it, but I can help you shoot better than that. Come here." Booth thought the shot had been surprisingly nice, but hey, who was he to turn down a chance to be manly around his Bones? When she walked over to him, he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her and put his hands on hers. From this placement, he raised her arms into a perfect shooting stance for the basketball court. "Like that, Bones. See how—"

"Wow… I would hate to think we're interrupting anything," Angela commented, eyebrows raised. "And if this weren't for Zack's mental stability, we would SO let you two continue, but…" Angela watched Agent Booth and Brennan bolt away from one another. Booth sat down on the bench at the edge of the court to retie his shoes and Brennan shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot.

" Ange, Booth was just showing me—" she started.

"Sweetie," Angela patted Brennan on the head like a small child. "Let him show you ANYTHING he wants, alright?" She winked and walked over to the bench where Booth sat.

Booth looked up at Angela and said, "You look hot, Angela, but not exactly basketball appropriate. I'm pretty sure the heels on those boots will hamper a jump shot."

"Cute, Booth. Real cute. I am NOT the basketball playing type. In fact, sports in general really just aren't my thing." She chuckled. "Shocking, I know. I, instead, have brought a sketch pad and intend to immortalize Brennan and Zack of all people playing a game." She waved a box of colored pencils in Booth direction. "I make my own kinda fun."

Booth snickered and stood up as Hodgins and Zack trailed onto the court. "Come on, slowpokes! Let's go! Bones and me against you two."

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A/N : Well, this was fun. LOL I know that Zack's shown an interest in basketball on the show before so this wouldn't be too off the wall. Remember, reviews make stories finish faster!


	8. Why don’t you call her?

Zack didn't suck at playing basketball like Booth had assumed he would. He wasn't spectacular, by any means, but Booth hadn't had to let him score, he'd managed that on his own a few times. Bones, on the other hand… Well, when it came down to game time, she just wasn't much of a match for the three others on the court. It was alright, though. The game had actually been pretty fun and Zack had broken out of his depressed robotic state into… Well, his usual robotic state.

"Sweetie!" Angela smooched Zack noisily on the cheek. "Look at you! I never knew you could play a sport!" She glanced at Brennan and chuckled, "And I actually figured you would be considerably better at it."

Dr. Brennan tried to look annoyed at the comment, but really the game had been too fun for her to work up a decent dirty look. Booth came up behind her and stole the ball that she was carrying. He dribbled it and grinned. "Not bad, squints. Not bad."

Beep, beep. Beep, beep.

"What is that?" Hodgins asked, trotting up to the bench where his friends stood. Zack was digging hopefully into his pocket. Pulling out his cell phone he looked at the screen and his face fell. "Who's that, dude?"

"Naomi." Zack made a face and tossed his cell phone onto the bench.

"Why is she texting you?" Hodgins looked at Zack, curiously. "I kinda got the impression she only spoke to you when she needed something."

"She does," Zack replied, picking up a sweatshirt off of the bench. He yanked it down over his head and explained, "And I've finally realized that. And I told her so." He paused. "In fact, I was kind of rude about the whole thing to her."

"Intentionally rude or just the way you always are?" Hodgins asked, looking delighted.

"Well, I didn't actually MEAN to be rude, but I was really angry. Naomi made me feel so… Well, inadequate, really. I started avoiding any situation that was non-academic, because I just figured I would be bad at it. I even had myself convinced that if Brynn and I talked face to face she would end up mocking me just like Naomi did and that's why I chose to avoid her." Zack had been studying his shoes. Now, he looked up. "So, I told Naomi that maybe SHE was the reason things weren't so great between us sexually."

"Dude you DIDN'T!" Hodgins burst out laughing. "That is freakin' AWESOME! And now she's texting you. Ha! I think you've found a girlfriend, dude! Women LOVE assertive men. She'll be texting you and calling you all the time now!"

Zack shook his head. "No thanks. I don't want her. I just want Brynn. She's never made me feel stupid over… Anything." Color rose in his cheeks and he cleared his throat.

"Wait, you and Brynn…" Booth gaped at Zack. Then he snickered. "She's hot. I'm impressed, kid."

"She is," Zack agreed. "But, it's not like it matters, now. Her email said she was flying back to Atlanta tomorrow morning, so I guess I'll just have to try to explain myself when I email her again." He shrugged his shoulders and smiled sadly.

"Why don't you call her?" Dr. Brennan asked quietly.

"She's out with someone else right now." A flicker of sadness passed through Zack's eyes. "And if I stand any chance of trying to explain myself, I'm going to need more than just a couple of minutes of rushed conversation on a cell phone. It'll work better if I think out what I need to say and then call her when she's back home."

Angela looked thoughtful. She glanced down at Zack's cell phone, sitting on the bench beside her, then back up at him as he was talking to Hodgins and Booth. A brisk, cold air was blowing through the park and Angela made a split second decision. She said, "Oh! Let me show you the drawings I did while you were playing!" She whipped her sketchpad open, sending loose papers every which away. "Oh shit!"

Zack, Hodgins, and Booth tried to grab the sheets, but the wind was rolling them along to quickly. Fortunately, all three men reacted exactly how she planned and they ran across the court trying to catch them. Grabbing up Zack's phone she scrolled the numbers.

"Ange, what are you—" Brennan started to ask and then she realized. "Oh! You're going to play cupid, still."

"Shhh!" Angela laid the phone back down in the bench and turned around. Hands full of papers, the men were ambling back their way. "Thank you guys soooooooo much! I can't believe they flew all over the place like that!"

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Angela watched Zack's back as he jogged up the stairs to his apartment over the garage.

"Wanna come join me in the shower?" Hodgins asked solicitously in her ear.

"Just a second, I need to… Call Brennan real quick." Angela had matchmaking to do, and even the thought of a hot and steamy shower with Hodgins wasn't going to stand in her way.

"Alright. I'll be waiting though." Hodgins winked rakishly and then turned to go inside. Angela watched him retreat and then pulled out her cell phone.

"Hello?" the voice on the other end of the phone had responded pretty quickly. A good omen, Angela decided.

"Hi, Brynn… It's Angela. We met earlier today?"

"Oh, yeah. Hi."

"I'm sorry to interrupt your date, but—"

"Date?" Brynn laughed. "This isn't a date. My friend Scott wanted me to meet his new boyfriend."

"Scott's gay?" Angela was positively gleeful. The whole meeting a friend's friend thing had sounded so ominous! And it was nothing. That made what Angela had planned so much easier to accomplish.

"Ummm, for Wesley's sake I hope so." Again, Brynn laughed. Then she stage whispered, "Really, I don't think there's much questioning it, though."

"Excellent!" Angela breathed a sigh of relief and then rushed on. "Look, I have something to tell you about Zack." Angela crossed her fingers and hoped she would get a favorable response.

"Is he OK?" Brynn sounded concerned. "I was wondering if everything was alright when I didn't even get to see him at the lab."

"Yeah, he's fine. He's just… Had a rough time of it with a girl we work with and was second guessing his feelings for you." Crap. Had that just come out of her mouth? Angela tried to think of a way to backtrack.

"His feelings for me?" Brynn sounded surprised. "What kinda feelings?"

"Sweetie… I don't think that's really for me to say. But, I think you should talk to him. Now."

"He's not at the lab. I've tried to call and was told he was out."

"No. He's at home. Do you want directions?"

"Are you gonna tell him I'm coming?" Brynn asked. "Because I'm scared he might hide again."

"Again?" Angela asked, surprised.

"What? Y'all thought I didn't see him bolt when he saw me right before lunch?"

"Oh, that. Really, he's all sorted out now. But, no, I'm not telling him. I think in this case, a surprise attack might be just what he needs." Angela grinned. "Are you ready for directions?"

"Go for it."

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A/N : Well? Whadaya think? Still liking it? Come on… You know you wanna review it!


	9. Nice

Zack unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped inside. Kicking his Nikes off at the door, he padded into the living room and switched on the tv. Contrary to what people probably thought, he wasn't a messy guy. In fact, messes really irritated him and he was a neat freak about his living space. There had been quite a long time, though, when he hadn't extended his cleanliness to his persona. In truth, the problem hadn't been that he was hygienically challenged—he just used it as a shield. He didn't have interact too much with people when they thought he was an unwashed miscreant. It was a lot easier to do that than to explain that his Asperger's Syndrome didn't allow for certain pitches of voice, certain smells, or even overly flamboyant colors.

Switching to the Weather Channel, he saw that it was snowing in Michigan. That tidbit alone made him really happy to not be there. He liked snow, just fine, but shoveling it got old really fast. For one, the sound of the shovel cutting through the ice just grated on his nerves. And for another, his brothers always teased him, reminding him of the time he'd used a match and a can of his mom's hairspray to create a homemade flame thrower to melt away the drive. He didn't understand why it amused them so. It'd worked just fine. Even though he'd singed the dog in the process.

Zack used the remote to change the tv over to a satellite radio station, Zack made his way into the kitchen to the opening strains of Nickelback's "If Everyone Cared." He was hungry, but he was pretty sure his options would be limited as he hadn't made time to go to the store in… In… God, when HAD he last bought food? Opening the cabinet above his small stove, he was given the options of a mostly empty jar of peanut butter and a box of organic macaroni and cheese he'd bought in a fit of responsibility, swearing he would eat more healthily. The problem was that it didn't TASTE like macaroni and cheese. It tasted more like cardboard. And, really, that description was being kind.

Wrinkling his nose at his options, he grabbed a spoon and dug out a lump of peanut butter. Protein was good. It would at least tide him over until he'd showered and decided if he wanted to order food or wheedle Angela or Hodgins into a grocery run. He popped the spoon into his mouth and headed into the bedroom where he undressed for a hot shower.

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Brynn had changed from her skirt and blouse into jeans and a baby pink fitted long sleeved t-shirt. Her hair was pulled up in a sloppy looking bun and she looked even younger than before. Angela shook her head in amusement.

"How old are you again, sweetie?" she asked as she dug in the kitchen junk drawer for the spare key to Zack's place.

"I'm 25. I know, I know. I look younger. But, Zack doesn't look 27, either, does he?" Brynn twirled one of her tendrils of red curls around her finger nervously.

"No, he doesn't at all. I'm not insulting you, hon. I think the two of you are just precious." Angela smiled reassuringly.

Brynn chewed on her lips, her dimples popping in and out. She was still obviously battling nerves.

"Do you have Asperger's, too?" Brynn's head tilted as she looked at the much taller woman. "Zack's never SAID that he does, but with him it's pretty evident. And I guess, with that study you mentioned… Maybe I'm just making an assumption. I apologize."

"No…" Brynn shrugged. "I do. It's who I am, although I've lucked out and am generally undetected in my professional life."

"What about your private life?" Angela found the key and handed it to Brynn with an impish grin.

Nervously, the elfin redhead chuckled, "I've never really had much of one."

"Except with Zack?"

Angela was rewarded with a guilty grin. "Yeah, pretty much."

"I think if you give this a chance… You might be surprised, you know?" Angela impulsively leaned over and hugged the younger woman.

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Brynn took a deep breath and turned the key in the lock. From inside, she could hear the muffled pulse of music. Pushing the door open she called, "Zack?" No answer. She poked her head in and could hear the shower running and Zack singing along to Linkin Park's "Breaking The Habit." Hearing him sing made her smile. She suspected not many people knew what a nice voice he had since he wasn't the type that was likely to just burst into song. Of course, it had been close to six years since they'd last talked face to face. If she wanted to be wholly honest with herself, there had to be a lot about him she didn't know anymore. Usually, in email and phone conversations, they limited themselves to chatter about work, about stupid things they'd said or done recently, and sometimes about people in their lives.

From previous discussions, Brynn had a burning dislike for Naomi. Zack never went into details, but he'd sounded so much more guarded a few days after he'd mentioned that he might be pursuing a relationship with a girl at work. Brynn had tried to coax details from him, but he'd simply responded, "I don't understand women at ALL." When she'd offered to help him navigate the female psyche, he'd been a bit snappish with her. Feelings hurt, Brynn never brought the subject up again.

Knowing that she might be overstepping her bounds, she slipped into his living room, shutting the door behind her. Brynn looked around the room curiously. It was nicer than she expected. Off-white walls, beige speckled carpeting… There were black wooden bookcases that matched the end tables and coffee table. The sofa and a large recliner were both slate blue, giving the room an Asian feel. Brynn felt a twinge of jealousy wondering who'd helped him pick out the pieces. Naomi? On the wall was a framed sketch of his family. Brynn leaned in to look closer and saw the artist's signature was "A. Montenegro." Of course! Surely Angela had helped him set up this place. Come to think of it, she was pretty sure she remembered Zack telling her about this very sketch from a few Christmases before.

From where she stood, she could see over the countertop into the small kitchen. On the fridge were those little magnet words people used to make up poetry. Brynn smiled at that, because she's sent him a set a few years previously. It looked like he'd added to his collection, though, as the door was pretty much covered.

Feeling rather like an intruder, Brynn decided to sit down on the sofa to wait on Zack to get out of the shower. The song on the tv changed to Avril Lavigne's "Hot." She strained her ears to hear if Zack was still singing. Silence. Chuckling to herself at how funny THAT would have been, Brynn pulled her feet up against her chest and hummed along with the music.

The shower stopped and Brynn tensed. She glanced at the clock on the wall across from her and decided to give him a few minutes to get dressed before she announced her presence.

A cell phone lying on the countertop beeped loudly.

Brynn looked up, startled. Would Zack hear his phone if he was still in the bathroom? Should she call out and tell him she was here? Or just let it go?

Beep, beep.

The half opened bedroom door flew open and Zack, dark blue towel wrapped around his midsection, bolted out. He grabbed the phone, looked at the display and threw it back on the countertop with a disgusted snort.

"Not who you were expecting?"

The question had come from directly behind him and Zack froze, eyes wide. Slowly, he turned around to look at Byrnn. There she was. Sitting on his sofa, looking as sweet and beautiful as she had the last time he'd seen her. "Did Angela…" his question trailed off. Of course it had been Angela who'd let her in. He HAD to remember to hug his co-worker the next time he saw her. It totally wasn't his thing, but she deserved it.

Brynn nodded. Then her eyes darted down from his eyes. "Wow. You have muscles."

"Huh? Oh!" Zack jumped. He was still in a towel. Stupid, stupid. Why did his brain freeze when he least needed it to? He looked down nervously, "Uhh, yeah. I had to do a lot of getting in shape when I went to Iraq and… And… And I'm going to go get dressed, OK?"

Brynn simply nodded as Zack dove for the door to his bedroom. Inside, though, her mind was whirring. "Nice," she muttered, grinning to herself.

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A/N : This is such fun. I believe the next chapter will be the last, unless I get an overwhelming influx of reviews or something cool like that. **big cheesy grin **You decide… 


	10. No, no, no!

Zack yanked open a drawer. Empty. Why was his underwear drawer empty? He'd just thrown a load in this morning before work so he knew he had… Shit. He'd never taken them out of the dryer. Which was downstairs in the laundry room off of the garage. He had pajamas he could put on, but he'd be stuck having to go "Rambo." Or was it "commando?" He never could remember, hence his never having uttered the phrase aloud. And really, that wouldn't work, would it? He would be much too uncomfortable to stay like that. Throwing on some old plaid pajama bottoms and a ZZ Top t-shirt he'd gotten from Angela, Zack looked at himself in the mirror. Brynn hadn't changed much, but he had. He was more confident now, in general. This was his chance.

"I have to go grab some clothes out of the dryer. Are you hungry?" he asked as he wandered into the kitchen. "I have order menus for Thai, pizza, Chinese, and… Chicken wings." He threw the photocopied menus on the countertop. "Figure out what you'd like and I'll order some dinner in a sec." With that said, he raced out the door and galloped down the stairs. He shoveled his clean clothes out of the dryer into a plastic hamper and hurried back up the stairs.

Brynn was standing at the counter, holding the menus. "Your phone just rang." She seemed to be avoiding eye contact and she fumbled the menus around. "You know, if you've got other things you need to attend to, I can—"

"What things?" Zack was surprised. "What else could I possibly have to do?"

Her green eyes locked with his brown ones. "It was Naomi who called. I looked at the display." She looked back down. "Sorry. I didn't actually MEAN to be nosey, it's just I was curious and…" She sighed. "I should go, Zack. Really. I mean, I thought that… Maybe you… And me… But, I'm not so great at reading people… and then… Naomi…" She shook her head and put the papers down on the counter.

Zack stood frozen as stared at her, bewildered. Wait, what? What was going on? This was entirely too much to process. Was she LEAVING? Why? His eyes darted over to his phone. Naomi! She thought he was still seeing Naomi. No, no, no! This was NOT what was supposed to happen. Not now. Not with her here, in D.C., with him having finally worked up the courage to admit he had feelings for her. So many feelings, in fact, that he was on some kind of sensory overload. Everything was moving in slow motion. He watched her step around the counter, head still down, looking embarrassed. She was walking towards her purse, which was sitting on his sofa. She was picking it up. Mentally, Zack was punching himself. DO SOMETHING!!! his brain was screaming. But, he couldn't. She was walking, no, she was half running to the door, which he was blocking.

"Brynn…" his voice sounded odd to his ears, like he was talking around a mouthful of cotton.

"Zack, really. I need to go. I'm sorry, I—" She made a move to side step around him when his rebellious body finally joined forces with his brain.

He dropped the hamper and grabbed her gently by the shoulders. Putting a finger under her chin, he tilted her face up to his, looking again into those emerald eyes. Then, with an impish half smile he kissed her.

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A/N : Well, that's that! I hope you enjoyed it. I'm going to continue on with a sequel. Obviously, we have to see if Brynn gets the D.C. job, see how everyone reacts to Zack's tale of romance, and… Well… I guess we'll have to see, huh?


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